INCREDIBLE plans for the world’s biggest plane reveal how the mammoth cargo jet could be the key to transporting some of the largest items around the planet.
Sitting at a mammoth 356ft long the revolutionary WindRunner would be longer than the pitch at Wembley Stadium and could hold a whopping 12 times more load than a Boeing 747.
RadiaThe WindRunner is a 356ft long plane that could become the biggest in the world[/caption]
RadiaThe WindRunner can fit a giant wind turbine blade inside it as it splits into two sections[/caption]
RadiaIt can hold a whopping 12 times as much cargo as a Boeing 747[/caption]
RadiaIt is also 80 times larger than the biggest military plane on the planet[/caption]
Set to carry the huge and heavy blades of a wind turbine on board the WindRunner could officially become the largest plane by length and cargo volume if built.
The clever team at Radia are behind the ambitious project that includes rocket scientist Mark Lundstrom.
He has spent the past seven years working with his engineering team to finally nail down the jet’s concept.
With the overall goal of the plane being to address the many challenges faced when transporting offshore blades due to their size.
The largest blades are so enormous that the plane can only carry one at a time.
It is also 80 times larger than the biggest military plane on the planet
The WindRunner is set to be a beast in the skies through its impressive size.
It is 127ft longer than a Boeing 747 – the largest passenger plane on the planet.
And despite the incredible length of the jet, it also stands at 79ft tall and has a wingspan of 261ft.
Travelling at speeds of 0.6 Mach the cargo plane can also take on a maximum payload of 72,575kg if it gets built.
The plane could potentially fit one large, offshore blade at a time or four smaller blades.
But Lundstrom has big hopes for the plane to one day expand its uses and move other large equipment for military operations.
Or be used to help in the oil and gas industry where it could help to make billions.
The Radia team expects commercial production of the jet to be underway by the end of 2027.
THE POWER OF WIND TURBINES
Offshore wind turbine blades are among some of the world’s longest items and currently can only be transported by enormous boats.
The blades are made of fibreglass-reinforced polyester or epoxy meaning they can weigh a ridiculous amount and makes them near impossible to fit on vehicles not specially reinforced.
The heaviest blades can come in at a staggering 26,000kg, reports suggest.
But with the WindRunner’s shear size and mass it could open up a whole new world allowing for even bigger blades to be produced.
Radia are looking at deploying blades that can reach up to 341ft in the future.
An amazing increase from the current sized blades typically seen of just 229ft.
Such projects could then help to produce around double the amount of energy current onshore installations can.
The bigger the blade the more wind energy it can harvest at a time.
Radia estimates turbines with such large blades could reduce energy costs by 35 per cent.
And it might also increase the consistency of power generation by 20 per cent compared to the current crop of onshore turbines.
The biggest planes on the planet
PLANES come in all shapes and sizes but some are simply bigger and better than the rest.
The biggest commercial plane for decades was the Boeing 747 that held the honour after coming in at a length of 231ft.
The Airbus A340-600 briefly stole the crown in 2001 when it came into service at a whopping 247ft.
But Boeing quickly took back the title of the world’s biggest plane when the 747-8I measured in at 250ft.
Over the last 50 years there have been many contenders to the throne but one stands out above the rest.
A double decker super plane dubbed the Very Large Aeroplane.
The first concept was designed in 1996 by Lockheed Martin and would’ve blown any other passenger jet out of the sky being 262ft long.
In terms of the heaviest plane the Antonov An-225 Mriya holds the world record with a maximum capacity of over 250,000kg.
Followed by the Antonov An-124 Condor that can just about hold 150,000kg on board.
RadiaThe giant jet is set to revolutionise the world of wind energy[/caption]
RadiaThe WindRunner will be used to transport blades from wind turbines[/caption]
RadiaRocket scientist Mark Lundstrom is part of the Radia team designing the jet[/caption]
RadiaCurrently wind turbine blades are too big to be transported by road vehicles so only go by boat[/caption]“}]]